Mogadishu’s diplomatic circles are buzzing. On Thursday, the C6+ group of foreign ambassadors convened in the Somali capital, their immediate focus zeroing in on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s recent invitation to opposition and former leaders.
Far from presenting a united front, the gathering exposed a significant rift within the international community regarding the President’s approach to national reconciliation.
The President’s initiative, intended to bridge divides, inadvertently highlighted them among the diplomatic corps. Representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Somalia were unequivocal in their assessment: President Hassan had not engaged with the seriousness or responsibility that the current political climate demanded, suggesting a clear lack of goodwill and palpable reluctance.
While this critical stance garnered broad consensus, the European Union delegation notably diverged. Yet, despite these sharp internal disagreements, the meeting concluded with statements projecting an outward image of unity.
US Ambassador Richard H. Riley delivered the most cutting critique. He underscored how President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s two-month “reluctance and delay” had not merely stalled progress but had actively “exacerbated the existing confusion and lack of direction.”
Riley’s message was unambiguous: the President wasn’t approaching this crucial process with the necessary good faith for its success, hinting that “additional pressure was needed.” The new UK Ambassador, Charles King, who had only recently presented his credentials, swiftly aligned himself with the view that the Presidency’s current modus operandi was simply “not conducive to unifying the nation.”
Even James Swan, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative, a figure with extensive experience in Somalia, largely echoed the US position, albeit with a subtle undercurrent of flexibility.
A distinctly different perspective emerged from Ms. Karin Johansson, the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Somalia. Her stance was clear: the role of international delegations in Somalia was “not to dictate to Somalia’s legitimate government.” She explicitly reiterated that the complex task of national reconciliation should remain firmly within the purview of the Presidency, at Villa Somalia.
Adding another layer of intrigue, a recent statement from the Ministry of Information attempted to clarify the President’s position. However, it appeared that a letter dispatched just the day before to former leaders might have been a strategic maneuver to “overshadow the invitation from the President of Jubaland,” effectively sidelining Federal Member States from the initial dialogue.
Despite this, a letter on Thursday confirmed a crucial detail: the National Consultative Council will convene a conference on June 22. The lingering question, however, is whether President Ahmed Mohamed Islam ‘Madobe’ will be a part of this pivotal meeting.
The diplomatic jostling unfolds against a backdrop of intense domestic political maneuvering.
International Ambassadors have already held separate dialogues this week with both President Hassan Sheikh and the Somali Salvation Leadership Forum, a prominent movement largely composed of Somalia’s former leaders.
Simultaneously, the Presidents of Puntland and Jubaland, who recently met in Nairobi, are advocating for their own blueprint: the inclusion of the Somali Salvation Leadership Forum in the National Consultative Conference (NCC+). For them, this is the “sole solution” to navigate the fraught waters of electoral and constitutional reform.
The Somali Presidency is thus grappling with a formidable three-pronged challenge. It faces pressure not only from the united opposition front of the Somali Salvation Forum, led by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, but also from members of the International Community in Somalia.
Compounding this, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly issued a stark warning to Kampala: deliver concrete results from the current platform, or face the consequences. The coming weeks promise to be a true test of President Mohamud’s political acumen and Somalia’s delicate path forward.